Category: News

This is an article published in Tillergraph about a customer of ours who’s boat I was blacking.

The first time the boat was dry docked by us it was quite evident that any existing rust had never been cleaned of before blacking and it they had just over painted it, unfortunately it ultimately (4 years later) resulted in a small hole that cost a lot of money.

Paint delivery is always a problem as there are very few carriers who will carry paint but it is now sorted.

If you are after advise please have a look at their website www.rylardpaints.co.uk or send us an email. Make sure you have look at my recent post on blacking.

We will also be on their stand at the Crick Boat show on the Saturday, so please call in and say hello, when you visit please pick up a discount code for the website it gives you 10% off all Rylard products in June. Just enter the code at checkout.

For those of you who don’t know we have a day boat and a small boat we have had for a few years that we have never done any thing with.

Half term and the week after is our time to black the bottom and re paint the sides and roof, I will explain more about the repainting in my next post.

During the two weeks I also had a customers boat to black as well so that is 1 x 36′ 1 x 30′ and 1 x 40′, Whilst doing this I got to thinking, nobody ever discusses blacking and what it involves. I decided to have a think about what questions you should ask when getting you bottom blacked.

Jet washed and wire brushed all the loose stuff off with a grinder

1. What surface preparation do you need to do?
This can range from a quick jet wash through wire brushing or scabbling to grit blasting. I know of some companies who just give the hull a quick jet wash to get rid of the weed growth and then black the boat, they do nothing about any rust build up on the surface.

2. If your previous coats of bitumen are stuck on well do you need to remove them?

3. What has the boat been painted with previously?
Comastic, Bitumen, epoxy.
This effects what you can use and what surface prep needs to be done epoxy needs to go on clean steel, comastic cannot be put on top of bitumen.

4. What product are you using?
Are they using a product specifically designed for use on boats, under the water or just a roofing product that is designed to get wet occasionally and then dry out. Rylard paints have two products that are designed to be used together one that works in to all the marks etc on the hull and a much thicker one to give film thickness.

5. How many coats are being applied and how thick are they?
The Rylard paint system is 2-3 coats, International recommend between 2 and 5 coats, depending on application method.

6. What drying times and launch times are used?
Most bitumen products require 8-24 hours between coats and 24-48 hours before submersion.

7. What else will be checked when blacking?
Anodes, are they in the right place how much longer will they last.
Prop condition, bits missing or bent.
Stern gear, is there any movement/excessive play.
Rudder condition, bolts corded etc.
General hull condition, pits, corrosion etc.
Welds, are the rubbing straights continuously welded, etc.

8. Do you paint inside the weed hatch/cover?
Some people don’t remove the weed hatch. The tape may need to be replaced as well.

9. A great one to start and argument is does the bottom plate get a coat!

Let me make one thing clear this is not a guide to painting your hull/getting it painted. I am not a surveyor or have any steel/chemistry qualifications, these are just the thoughts of a guy who has been in the industry for about 20 years and have blacked a few boats over the years. Some have been great some have been so badly blacked before they will need the sides over plating.

All I want this to do is to make you think about how your boat is blacked. Remember a boat without a hull is not a boat! You may not see it but the bit in the water it is the most important bit!

3 Coats of Rylards Blacking Premium Protection, Rytex and then a final coat of Premium Protection.

Don’t forget to call in and see us at Thorn Marine on you way to the festival.

If you need any thing you can order and pay online and collect form the shop, alternatively come and have a rummage through the shop with all the new shelves and racking. to quote a phrase used by many of my customer “a Proper Chandlery”

Getting the site up and running was put on a back burner for a while. But it is time to start things up again!

Over the Christmas period I have been getting on with some back office stuff testing and re testing the PayPal system to ensure it works. I have over the last week or two added more stock and more will going on over the next 2 weeks.

We will be going live in February!

One of the main reasons we have been delayed in starting the online shop is we have been refitting our physical shop, we have lots of new racking and changed the way we display our products, I will post some pictures later in the week. If you are passing by car or boat please call in to have a look around.